Chapter 97

Liao Liao shrugged and sighed, saying, "Originally, I wrote two songs and planned to bring them over for you to look at and help me with, but before coming here, I went to participate in the Oriental Star TV New Year's Eve concert. I happened to hear those girls singing your 'Farewell,' sigh... I was so discouraged that I lost all interest. So, this time, I just came over to visit, to see you and Xiao Jie, and to make an appointment for the next album!"

Li Qian raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You want me to produce your next album?"

Liao Liao nodded and said, "We're friends, right? If you can do it for others, why not for me?"

Li Qian chuckled, thought for a moment, and said, "I can give you a few songs, no problem, but if you want me to produce the entire album... I don't have the time. I have the college entrance exam in six months and need to go to Shuntian for the arts exam, so you'll have to wait a long time!"

Liao Liao thought for a moment and said, "When you produced that album for Huage, you were just the producer, right?"

Seeing Li Qian nod, she continued, "Then let's do it that way. You'll just be the producer. When you give me the songs, make sure I like them, and then I'll practice. When you go to Shuntian for the arts exam, you can take some time to listen and produce for me. How about that?"

Li Qian thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright!"

Then, Liao Liao didn't ask about the price, and Li Qian didn't mention it either. The matter was settled with just a few words.

Next, the three of them started chatting casually. However, after a few sentences, the conversation inevitably turned back to Li Qian. Liao Liao began to complain, "You should find an agent. At least for people in the industry, you need someone to help you manage things and start building some connections. In the past six months, I haven't had the chance to tell you, but so many people in the industry have asked me about you. They all want to invite you to write songs, and I can't agree or refuse on your behalf. I just told them I'd ask you when I came over... These are things your agent should handle. You can't agree to everything, but you should choose some people to give some work to. Otherwise, it will be bad for your network in the long run!"

This was indeed a serious matter, and Li Qian frowned when she mentioned it.

Actually, it wasn't just her. Li Qian himself didn't want to get entangled in the industry too early; he just wanted to finish high school peacefully. Therefore, he always asked people not to reveal his contact information. However, because of the songs Liao Liao sang, his reputation had already spread. People in the industry naturally tried to contact him. Before, they would ask Cao Zhan indirectly or even go to Cao Zhan directly to meet him. Cao Zhan had also suggested that Li Qian find an agent to handle these matters.

Cao Zhan's reasoning was similar to Liao Liao's: some of these invitations and requests to meet could be turned down, but turning them all down would quickly ruin his reputation in the industry. Moreover, the process of inviting and giving songs would indeed help build useful connections for the future.

In life, no matter what you do, you can't do without a network of people.

For example, the last time he recorded for Wu Xing Wu Su, if it weren't for his friend Cao Zhan, how could he have resolved the issue so easily?

More friends mean more opportunities, and this is a truth.

Moreover, from Li Qian's perspective, he felt it wasn't right to keep pushing these matters onto Liao Liao and Cao Zhan. It would waste their time, and if he refused, it might make people resent them as well, which would harm his friends. This wasn't a good way to handle things.

However, after some thought, Li Qian frowned and said, "I do think I need an agent, but as you know, I don't have anyone suitable around me, and I don't know anyone else in the industry. I don't know who would be a good fit... Can you recommend someone?"

While Li Qian and Liao Liao were discussing these issues, Qi Jie, realizing she didn't understand and couldn't contribute, got up to boil water and asked Li Qian where the tea was. After finding it, she took the initiative to make tea for everyone.

At this moment, Liao Liao hesitated, clearly trying to think of suitable candidates for Li Qian. However, having only been famous for half a year and spending a considerable time in the northwest, her network in the industry wasn't well-established. She couldn't think of anyone suitable right away.

Just then, Qi Jie brought over three cups of tea and filled them with water. Liao Liao suddenly had an idea, blinked at Li Qian, and pointed at Qi Jie's back, "What about her?"

Li Qian followed her finger and looked behind him, a bit surprised. He smiled and said, "Her? I don't think she's suitable."

At this point, Qi Jie had put down the kettle and walked back to sit down. She looked at the two of them, confused, "Why are you looking at me like that? Who's not suitable?"

Li Qian looked away, frowning in thought.

Liao Liao, however, clapped her hands and excitedly said to Li Qian, "Don't rush to say she's not suitable, let me explain!"

Li Qian nodded and looked at her, while Qi Jie, still confused, also looked at her.

Liao Liao said, "The first requirement for an agent is that the artist must trust them. If the artist doesn't trust them and always worries they're plotting behind their back, it won't work. An agent who can't gain the artist's trust can't do anything! Right? So..." She pointed at Qi Jie, "She taught you for two years, right? Do you trust her?"

At this point, Qi Jie finally understood what they were talking about and pointed at herself, surprised, "Me? An agent?"

Liao Liao nodded and looked at Li Qian.

Li Qian thought for a moment and nodded, saying seriously, "Of course I trust Teacher Qi!"

It's true. Qi Jie's parents were colleagues with his father, and they had known each other for many years. Qi Jie had been his Chinese teacher for two years, and from their recent interactions, she was a straightforward and good-natured person. In terms of trust, there was no problem. At least Li Qian was willing to trust her.

Liao Liao, hearing this, clapped her hands again, "That's settled!"

Then, ignoring Qi Jie's expression, she continued, "That was just the basic requirement. The second requirement is that an agent must have a certain network and social skills. In many cases, a singer wants a particular song, or an actor wants a particular role, and they can't go after it themselves. But an agent can, through their network or persistence, get the job done. This is where an agent's personal ability comes into play!"

At this point, Qi Jie started waving her hands, "So, don't even think about it. I'm definitely not suitable. I'm just a cosmetics salesperson. You want me to deal with celebrities? No way, that's not a good idea, just forget it..."

Liao Liao slapped her hand away and said excitedly, "What do you know!"

She pointed at Li Qian, "Do you know who this is? He's Li Qian! He's a lyricist, composer, and producer. With his abilities, his past works, and his current reputation in the industry, does he need an agent to run around for him? Please, only people come to him to invite him to write songs! You silly girl, I'm offering you a great opportunity, do you know that? Do you know how much he charges for a song in the industry? As his agent, you just need to do two things: one, tell people, 'Sorry, Li Qian hasn't written any new songs recently, so there are no new works!' and two, collect the money! And no one will dare to cheat you!"

Li Qian laughed, but after some thought, he realized she had a point. He had been thinking about it the wrong way. Being his agent could indeed be a simple job.

At this point, Qi Jie was a bit stunned, looking from one to the other, not knowing what to say.

So Li Qian said, "That makes sense. Do you have anything else to add?"

Liao Liao, excited, wriggled and said seriously, "The third requirement is higher and is often only met by the best agents in the industry. An agent must not only help their client get work, good songs, good scripts, or roles, but also help them choose wisely."

"You need to know that once you become famous, all kinds of good and bad songs and scripts will be thrown at you. At that point, which ones do you take, and which ones do you reject? You can't just look at the pay. For singers, it's easier to judge a song, but for actors, the quality of a script doesn't guarantee the quality of the final product. At this point, the agent plays a crucial role in filtering and recommending."

"They must be able to give important advice, like which movie to act in, which endorsement to take, and so on. A superstar often has a highly skilled agent behind them, helping to shape their public image."

For a newcomer, Liao Liao's insights might be fresh and enlightening, but for Li Qian, who had been in the music and film industries for years, it wasn't new. In his previous life, he had heard this theory many times, even if he hadn't reached that level himself.

However, hearing it from Liao Liao still surprised him. It showed that she wasn't just a singer but had quickly grasped the essentials of surviving in the industry!

Only by doing so could she go further and stand higher in the industry!

Honestly, if Liao Liao hadn't understood these things, Li Qian had planned to point them out to her in a year or two. He had always had a good impression of her and was very satisfied with her singing and voice. He wanted to be a long-term friend and important collaborator, and he didn't want to see her struggle in the industry.

Now that she had figured it out on her own, it was even better.

So he nodded and said sincerely, "That makes a lot of sense."

Qi Jie, however, shook her head again, "If you say that, this job is definitely not suitable for me! Look, I don't know anything about music or movies. How can I handle these things?"

Liao Liao glared at her, "The point is, the person you're serving doesn't plan to debut! Do you understand, little girl? He's not debuting; he's just writing songs and producing albums. So... it's very simple. When someone invites him to write a song, you just need to gather information about that person, their company, their market position, their past albums, and so on, and provide it to Li Qian for his decision-making. Even if you knew more about music, could you know more than him?"

This time, Qi Jie was completely stunned.

Li Qian turned to look at Qi Jie, subconsciously rubbing his chin, and smiled, "You know, after you said that, I really think Teacher Qi would be a good fit as my agent! Uh, Teacher Qi, how much did you earn from selling cosmetics last month?"

Qi Jie was taken aback and answered subconsciously, "About six thousand, it hasn't been paid yet! I plan to quit after the New Year and take on a brand as an agent, which will earn me a lot more!"

Li Qian nodded and smiled, "You've only been in sales for half a year, so your sales skills are quite good! If you become my agent, who knows, maybe one day my songs won't sell, and you can help me promote them!"

Liao Liao's face lit up, "So, you think it's a good idea?"

Li Qian nodded and looked at Qi Jie seriously, "Teacher Qi, how about this? If you become my agent, I'll guarantee you a monthly salary of six thousand yuan, and you can take a five percent commission on all my business income!"

Qi Jie was a bit stunned, but Liao Liao clapped her hands and pointed at Li Qian, "That's fair!"

***

I've been very tired lately, and I'm afraid it will affect the quality of the writing, so I'll only update once tonight. I need to rest and write the next big chapter well!

Also, the monthly vote ranking is dropping. Does anyone still have votes?

***

I've been very tired lately, and I'm afraid it will affect the quality of the writing, so I'll only update once tonight. I need to rest and write the next big chapter well!

Also, the monthly vote ranking is dropping. Does anyone still have votes?